


The Queen's Guard

by DemonicSaiyans



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Angst, Cousland (Dragon Age) is not a Grey Warden, Eventual Romance, F/M, King Alistair (Dragon Age), Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:28:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26171971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonicSaiyans/pseuds/DemonicSaiyans
Summary: Aedan Cousland, the youngest child lives after surviving Howe's treason and the blight, finds himself in an odd situation after being home for seven months.Becoming the Queen's personal guard by the king's orders.(AU)
Relationships: Alistair/Anora Mac Tir, Alistair/Warden (Dragon Age), Male Cousland/Anora Mac Tir
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	1. First Impressions

The young Cousland glared at the castle, far from an ideal situation he was sent to do. The blight was over, his parents dead, and a newfound position fell before him by his older brother. 

The Queen's Guard. 

Aedan didn't practically like the idea of being a mere guard but he also didn't want to stay in the mess he once called home. 

_Father lied bleeding as mother held him shouting for Aedan to leave for safety. "Find Fergus and take vengeance upon Howe!"_

He never did find Fergus until the blight was over, he never was able to take vengeance thanks to the Hero of Ferelden. He never achieved anything he was supposed to do. He was just a useless noble who was lost in the chaos. 

So the request from his brother was quite a surprise, who would want a failure? Especially one whose going to be now protecting the queen. Life never seemed to make sense since the war. 

_"The stories of your heroics were not unheard. Did you really take down bandits by yourself?" Fergus grin but he could tell it was forced. "Not just that but-" Aedan raised his hand to stop him._

_"Yes, I was there. I wouldn't call it heroic, just me passing by and handling the situation." Fergus eyes held a bit of mix emotions. Aedan wasn't blind, he knew his brother resented him. He resented himself, shame still lingers after a year._

_"Whatever the case was. The king himself picked you to be her royal guard."_

Aedan just couldn't understand why. He wasn't a hero, a savior that ended the blight. Damn, he couldn't save his family for Maker's sake! 

As he gave a letter of approval to the guards to enter the palace walls, he took in a heavy gulp of salvia. He had never met the queen nor king before, he didn't know what to expect. 

The warm air touched his cheeks as he entered the palace. Brighten by the candles, and the smell of cherry pie linger in the air. The kitchen must be nearby. His stomach growled, it had been a few days of nothing but rations as the trip was far. 

Aedan was tempted to go near the kitchen but was caught off guard by a voice, he spun to see a man of strawberry hair grinning ear from ear. "The kitchen is my favorite place in this whole damn palace. I often come here when no one is looking." The man spoke casually and Aedan could only stare in confusion.

Who was this man and why was he chatting with him?

"You look hungry, come on, maybe the pies are ready." Another grin from the stranger as he placed a hand on Aedan's shoulder. 

Aedan, as strange as the situation was, couldn't refuse a meal.

\----

The stranger chatted while Aedan ate barely listening to him. "You know what happened next?" Cousland humoured with a what. "The blight ended with me slaying the dragon." That's when Aedan choked on a cherry.

Wait a moment, was this the hero? No, couldn't be. He heard she was female. "I see..." after regaining his breath, believing another trying to take glory. "I'm sure you defeated it with ease." Humoring further, not really caring what comes next.

"Finally someone sees my wondrous prowess!" The man leaned forward with a smile. "We never exchanged names did we?" He thought for a moment and realized that was true. "I'm Alistair and you must be Aedan Cousland" the wind was knocked out of him. 

Maker, this man was either more delusional then he thought or he had been ignoring the king the entire time. No, he knew his name so that must be...

"Your majesty!" Aedan quickly sat up with a bow. "If I knew-" with a wave of a hand to silence him, Cousland knew he was in hot waters.

"Please don't, well do, but not now, not until the formalities are over. I prefer Alistair, for some reason I grew accustomed without the titles. Well only if you count bastard prince as a title. _That_ you're not allowed to call me." 

Aedan felt his face heated with embarrassment. "Yes, as you wish." Was all he could mutter as he slowly sat back down. 

This was going to be a long day. 

\----

Aedan sat on his bed in his new chambers, confused and completely humiliated. "I can't believe that happened." He whisper to the silence as a candle dim lightly. "I'm not sure I could do this." 

Doubts crept in his mind as he began pulling his boots off from his feet. "I haven't met the queen yet and still I made a poor impression." It wasn't entirely his fault, or was it? Should he had take notice that he was king? Should he had listened? Alistair seemed to be happy from the situation though.

_"Ever since becoming king, its just been your Highness this, your highness that. Not just Alistair. So every once in a while, it's nice to just be me"_

Well, at least the king wasn't imitating. The queen on the other hand could be different. All he knew about the queen was that mother adored her. _A daughter she never had._ She would always say after tea and chatter. 

He would just need to wait a bit longer as it was late. Tomorrow should and hopefully go more smoothly than today.

Maker please let it be so.


	2. Honor

_Aedan quickly got dressed, daggers behind his back, he was ready for whatever awaited him. By himself with self-pity and unbearable sorrow, he was reckless in battles. Life held no meaning to him anymore._

Aedan stood before the king and the queen. Alistair held a grin while the woman had a small polite smile. She was quite beautiful if he were to be honest. 

Blond hair tied in the latest Ferelden style, blue dress that clung tightly against her. What he took notice the most was her blue eyes, no hint of warmth, just the look of someone who was exhausted. 

Netherless, she was beautiful. 

"You must be Aedan Cousland. I knew your mother, how I cherished her. I'm sorry for your lost." He had to resist darting his eyes away as old memories threatened to haunt him. "What happened with the Howes and those he allied were brought to justice." He thanked her with a tilt of a his head. "With that being said, we welcome you."

Alistair frowned, looking at his bride. "You didn't have to bring that up you know." The queen quickly hushed him, once tired eyes were now filled with an emotion he couldn't quite put his hand on. "Well, yeah, we welcome you. Your deeds during the blight was not unheard of, that's why you're giving an honor to serve and protect _her majesty_." A hint of bitterness when he spoke those last few words. 

"I know you will serve me well, your mother spoke highly of you, and I too had heard of your heroics deeds in our darkest times." Aedan felt his face flushed, they were unnecessary compliments. He was trying to survive, that was all. 

_"Maker help us!" Aedan heard the cries of the villagers as he was enjoying a pot of porridge, the first hot meal in ages. "There are beast!" With a frustrated sigh, he stood up and unsheathed his weapons._

_Dinner will have to wait._

Aedan could only nod, claiming it was an honor to be here and all that political nonsense he was taught as a child. 

_As the last beast fell, the villagers ran up to him with relieved smiles on their faces. "The Maker sent you, I just know it!"_

_It wasn't the Maker, he just wanted something to eat._

As the formalities were over, he slumped against the wall, eyes and body exhausted. "Maker, I shouldn't be here" he whispered. 

"I shouldn't either! We share that in common." Alistair laughed, approaching him. "But as formalities goes, I say this went well. I remembered my crown this time." His chipper attitude got under the man's skin but of course he had to grin and bear it. "I _apologize_ on the Queen's behalf. She shouldn't had brought up your parents." Aedan shrugged and said it was fine but the king shook his head. "I know what it's like to lose someone, I wouldn't want to be reminded."

That was the problem, everyone brought it up when they could. It got to the point he was almost numb to it. "I'm sure she met no harm." That made the king's brows burrowed. Almost if he thought otherwise. 

"Let's just go get something to eat, I'm starving!" He couldn't refuse the king's request.

_\-----_

Anora laid her head against her pillows, a tired sigh escaping her lips. Taking in the events that were held that day. 

This was the first she met the young Cousland, he was rather handsome as his mother described. Brownish hair tied in a knot, tall and muscular, his emerald eyes hard and cold but his voice soft and calming. 

She knew she shouldn't had brought up his family but she needed a reaction, to see his response, to engage his personality. She needed to know who would be beside her at all times, but it was also to convey her sympathies, it was narural to do so after all. 

Anora wasn't lying when she said she was close his mother, they shared wonderful times together at tea, almost a second mother to her. The lost struck her almost the same way her father's- no, that's done. No need to look back in the past.

_Why him though?_ She wondered.

_Anora argued against Alistair's proposal. "I did not agree to this!" Furious that a decision was made without her consent. "What were you thinking? Or were you even thinking at all!" She ridiculed him. Alistair just shrugged his shoulders and gave a generic response._

_"You need someone to protect you." He then smirked. "And I'm a king, I could do whatever I want."_

She gritted her teeth at the memory. The nerve of that man child! 

_"Why him though? It could've been anyone else!" Alistair shrugged again and stood from his chair. "Alistair, answer me!" Alistair just winked and left the room._

_How she disliked him._

Whatever the case, it was over and done. The Cousland was now officially her personal guard. 

She would be lying if she didn't think this whole situation wouldn't be interesting. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
